Causes Behind Visible Auroras In Iowa

Shown is an image of the aurora borealis or northern lights as they are commonly called. In the photo, you can see the colorful lights in the sky that aren’t normally found in Iowa. Auroras are most often found in high-latitude areas of the Earth, like the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Iowa is a midlatitude state and rarely sees auroras. In May and October of 2024, people all over the state were able to see the lights. This was due to a severe geomagnetic storm during the sun’s solar maximum period. According to NASA, “The solar cycle is a natural cycle the sun goes through as it transitions between low and high magnetic activity.” During the solar maximum period, the number of sun spots increase, which causes increased geomagnetic activity on Earth.

Image

Marion

Iowa Core Standard

HS-ESS1-1

Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the sun’s core to release energy that eventually reaches Earth in the form of radiation, supplying Earth with energy.

Driving Question

How does the sun’s energy relate to visible auroras in Iowa?

Probing Questions

What has to happen for an aurora to occur?
How does the sun’s energy interact with and affect the Earth?
Explain the relationship between the ability to see auroras in Iowa and the sun’s energy.

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

Start with the driving question and ask the students if anyone knows what the sun’s energy has to do with the aurora in Iowa. Give students time to discuss their thoughts, keeping track on a dry erase board, paper, etc.
See if the probing questions align with the results of the class discussion. Clarify and differentiate results appropriately so the probing questions are brought to the group.
Work in groups of 3-4 people to research information about the probing questions. Consider using an AI tool to help guide their work.
Use any of the attached resources, their own, or ones the teacher finds to help them understand the 11-year solar cycle.
Research the frequency of aurora sightings in Iowa from 1800 to the present date.
Guide class discussion to the idea that there is a higher incidence of auroras seen in Iowa during solar maximum. Guide students to the conclusion that, because Iowa is a midlatitude state, auroras are most visible when the sun’s energy is stronger during solar maximum and can reach Iowa.
Use Scratch to help students create a model of the sun and the Earth’s aurora relationship. To differentiate, students could build the whole model themselves, or separate the work into groups: sunspots, space weather, Earth’s magnetic field, particle interaction (if wanted), and auroras in Iowa, as examples.

Resources

NASA Earth Observatory | A Colorful Aurora Paints the Night Sky: This article includes additional photos and references explaining the October 2024 Auroras.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Solar Cycle Progression: This site includes a graph of the last 20 years of the solar cycle, as well as explanations about how this data is used and its impact.
NASA | Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle: This short article describes the solar cycle and includes helpful videos to dive deeper.
Space Weather: This site is useful for students to see the sunspot count each day.
NASA | Space Place: This resource has information about the solar cycle.
The Des Moines Register | The sun is reaching an 11-year peak. What does it mean for the northern lights in Iowa?: This article explains the connection between solar maximum and auroras in Iowa.

Contributors

Contributed by Ami Tursi.

Photo contributed by Mitch Hewitt.